Today, I want to wish all my fans and friends a wonderful Thanksgiving. I urge you all to put aside your creations of technology, (Except your 4K image devices to watch Thanksgiving Day NFL action…. hehe.) and spend some time giving thanks for what each of you is grateful for. So many times during the holiday season we over extend ourselves, with what we promise to do, versus what realistically we can. The pressure the holidays bring can sometimes almost become unbearable. (I’m an expert on the subject matter btw…) But I implore all of you out there to take a deep breath and cherish this special time with the ones you love.

The mass hysteria at the Cutter’s Police departmental offices had only escalated, as the Emergency Medical Technicians had gone through the motions, utilizing all the tools at their disposal, to bring the young female detective back from the grave. That of course, was a failure, and without a qualified Medical Examiner’s final autopsy report, Creighton’s statement was for the time being, accepted by everyone, especially the Chief of Police.
He had snuck through the crevice of investigators, senior investigators, and several media outlets, realizing what he had to do. Hensen’s Gym was a ten minute drive from the police department. Shanna Wilks would soon be finishing the last of her personal training classes; there would be only one chance to take her, before making his final exit from the city. The façade had lasted several years, but alas, everything comes to an end. Parking the unmarked, Creighton moved through the darkness, until he was at the rear entrance of the fitness center. Shanna would have the security system in place, but the proximity card issued at the time of membership, provided anyone with twenty-four hour access. Creighton scanned the card against the reader, smiling as he heard the magnetic door locks disengage. He slipped inside, carefully inching his way to where Shanna usually ended her evening. Quiet and empty. Exactly, how Creighton liked it. Off to his right, steam rolled out from underneath glass double doors, which told him, she was in the sauna. A nightly ritual that would be her end. Unzipping his suit jacket, Creighton pulled out the blank piece of cardboard. Time to create. One swift motion toward his belt, and the double edged blade was positioned to carry out his bidding. Pushing on the door, he felt the instant heat vapors, and recognized it was warmer than normal. More than one person here? He stripped off his jacket, placing it on the door handle. Cocking his head to one side, Creighton thought he had witnessed something moving. Time to play. Hesitating for a fraction of a second, proved to work to his advantage, the masked figure was too eager; the movement telegraphed, sending the assailant crashing headfirst into the sturdy glass. What the fuck? Creighton positioned himself above, as his lips burst wide open and a boastful laugh was expelled. “Well, looks like you came to me.” Creighton raised the blade high above his head; a powerful downward thrust into the man, caused an explosion of crimson to paint the surroundings…
* * * * *
“What’s taking them so long?” Gelati bit his lip, straining
To see the display, Harold and Harlan were monitoring. They were only a building away, but somehow Gelati knew that may not be close enough. Harold rested his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Hey, the signal is weak, but we—”
Gelati peeked over Harold’s shoulder. “Peter’s GPS locator working?”
Harlan leaned in to pinpoint the eldest brother. His eyes scanned the screen, searching for the red blip. Removing the headset, he shot from his chair, pointing to the laptop. “Sir, something is wrong. I don’t have either of them here!”I knew it… Gelati motioned at Harlan. “You, stay here. If they pop back up on the display, I need eyes on them.” Gelati grabbed his brother by the collar, yanking him towards the door of the small make-shift office. “Get on the horn to the Chief; tell him to send his people in… this goddamn minute!” Gelati patted at his waist, making sure his weapon was ready. I should have been with Peter.
They raced through the building, across the parking lot, meeting up with the several uniformed officers, also responding to the location. A burst of adrenalin propelled Gelati through the rear door of Hensen’s Gym. Thick balmy steam had completely engulfed the area, making visibility near impossible. Gelati eased his weapon from his holster, positioning it for confrontation. “Peter! Hey, you okay?” Silence greeted the group, as they stopped in their tracks, hoping something would give away the location of either.
Gelati’s portable radio squealed to life. The shaky voice of Harlan filled the small speaker. “Boss, we got a signal, but it’s moving away from you guys…and headed out of town! Gelati’s face was ashen. “Keep on them, we’re going—“
One of the uniformed officers grabbed his arm, pointing to the floor. The portable fell from his grasp, smashing to the wet tile, sending electronic innards in all directions. “No, please God…” His knees buckled, sending him to the floor. A few feet away, was a scene Gelati thought he would never witness. Face down, surrounded by pools of his own blood, was the motionless outline of Peter Bater. “Peter!” Inching next to him, Gelati knew it was too late. Fucking Creighton! Peter had underestimated the man, and this had cost him the ultimate price, his life. Gelati slumped over the body, as an ocean of tears exploded from him. There was no telling how long he stayed by Peter’s side, but didn’t move until the County Medical Examiner, tapped him on the shoulder. “Son, we need to take care of your brother.”At least someone can, I couldn’t. He rose to his feet, collecting his jacket and damaged radio. Gelati had only taken a few steps, when the County Medical Examiner rushed to his side. “I think you need to see this!”
Turning to face his brother, the Medical Examiner pointed to a small piece of white paper that was underneath Peter. Gelati rushed to his side, snatching it from the floor. His eyes bore into the paper, as rage filled his face. Written on the front in what Gelati knew was blood, was the following phrase:Only one is Forsaken!
Gelati bolted out the door, in the direction of his rental car. Steve Creighton had taken the life of Peter, and he would not rest, until Creighton was in the grave and rotting in hell. The GPS locator would unveil when the bastard did finally stop running, and Gelati would be there…waiting.

“Creighton there will be some special investigators I have called in to check out this scene. “You can relax, it’s not the feds. A private outfit, G.S.I. Highly recommended by the feebs.”
“G.S.I. what is that?” Unusual practice…hmm.
Chief Walt Prescott’s gravelly voice made him cringe, when he heard who was about to invade his private playground.
“Stands for Gelati Scoop Investigations…they have a crack team of investigators that usually get the job done. I called them in to consult on this. We don’t want any more murders in our town!”They won’t stop me. “Relax sir, I have some good people here too… we will get it under control.The bastard will be in hand soon-“
“Listen, two murders is too damn many. You haven’t gotten a handle on it yet, what makes me think you can?” “Not much evidence, but the two calling cards are something.” You won’t be getting much more.
“Sir. You are actually—“
“I’m already getting serious heat from the Mayor and the Governor. The parents of our beheaded girl are friends of both, as well as heavy contributors to the campaigns. Results equal arrests, and convictions, not egos.”Ego, ha-ha. “Okay, I will be a good soldier and play nice with the new kids.”
“See and everyone calls you a class A asshole. Two guys should be landing at the airport within the hour. I gotta call about a third one… should be joining them later. Name is Peter Bater. Keep a close eye on him; he’s a convicted killer.”Not too smart to let him out. “Are you fucking kidding?”
“No, this Gelati has some pull with a lot of special people. Apparently, this killer assists with profiling, and has a decent track record.”If he gets in the way… “It’s your party.”
“He has some ESP or some shit… not too sure.”Could be interesting. “Roger that boss.”
“Trust these guys’ instincts, they have yet to fail on a case and usually come to quick resolutions. Their tech guys are top notch and they have far better resources than us. Let them poke around a bit and see what they uncover. Some fresh eyes per say.”Maybe fresh meat instead. “My crime scene is their crime scene. I want to apprehend this killer as much as anyone.”
“Good, then let’s see what comes of it. Keep me in the loop on this.”
“Yes, boss., No problem.”
Creighton shoved the phone in his pocket, as he marveled at his work. The girl had fought him, and even landed a few blows herself. It was all in vain, but it was wonderfully rewarding. Her blood was fresh, more so, than the town’s whore hanging in the woods. The taste seemed to linger on his tongue, giving him unseen energy to deal with the arrival of the three-ring circus, coming to work with him. It should prove to be interesting, especially the profiler, if that’s indeed what he was. Creighton walked back through the closet, reached down, picking up his crime scene processing kit. Time to get to work.
* * *
The wheels of G.S.I. were turning at a feverous pace; the technicians were littered throughout the crime scene, checking out as much information as possible. A tall thin pale man wearing clothing from an era, well forgotten, tapped Gelati on the shoulder, as he slid under the yellow-taped perimeter. A ghoulish smirk filled his face; he bowed to the man responsible for his temporary freedom. “Can’t say I’m overly impressed… my dear Gelati. But who is that man over there?” Peter Bater pointed towards the muscular frame of Steve Creighton.
Now the party has officially started. “Pete, he is the lead investigator, why you ask?”
He motioned for Gelati to follow him. “The eyes never lie… and that man has some euphoria over what is going on here.”Clairvoyant critiquing in the house. “Okay, I’ll play along. What do you see in his eyes, that has the radar on high alert?” Peter cocks his head. “Watch his expression, as he walks through the crime scene. The muscles in his face are straining, and expanding the surgical mask he is wearing.”
“Maybe he’s breathing hard. It’s pretty balmy in this place… and that body fucking reeks.”
Peter’s eyes bore through his youngest sibling. “I don’t patronize your techniques… give mine some respect.”
“Sorry, what are you thinking?”
Peter rubbed at his face. Do we have somewhere I can talk to you in private… without all these men in blue? They give me the creeps.”I can venture to guess, what they think of you. “Actually, we do. The Police department is taking us there within the hour.”
Peter clapped his hands. “Very well. I will reserve my so-called ramblings until we can talk there.”

“Hello, what is it?”
“Mr. Gelati, this is Anwar from the Technology department. Sir, you have an incoming call from one of your brothers.”
“Okay, which one wants money? It better not be Peter… I’m still paying for his pet therapy program.”
“Ah sir, it is Mr. Bater… sorry.”Freaking wonderful! “No way, are you sure? Damn, send it through.”
”Gelati’s Scoop investigations, this is Gelati how can I help you?” Why not be nice? Could be a prank caller.
A nasal sounding voice filled the small earpiece. “Hello, my dearest brother. It’s Peter.”Why couldn’t it be a telemarketer? “Okay, it’s been a while. Is this really you? I thought you were in solitary?”
“I occasionally find myself there.” Anyhow, yes, hmm… how do you know it’s me? I will play your game. Well, the last slut I killed was the splitting image of our mother. I wish she was still around… would love to get my hands on her—“
Gelati raised a hand to the phone. “Enough! I believe it’s you.”One sick bastard.”
“Why do you think I get daily treatments of electricity coursing through my veins? Look… the reason I called is, I missed my big brother, and needed some airwaves alone with you.Why me? “Have they lowered your meds or have you just not taken them?”
“Not the issue. I have been on them, and I’m doing as well… you know…”As pathetic killers can do? Gelati switched from sarcasm to compassion. “What’s really going on?”
Peter sighed. “Well, the doctor I spoke to today, showed me a newspaper. They are trying to keep me in touch with reality. For reasons, I have no clue… nor care” He paused. “But dear brother, I do have a tip for you though. A serial killer is loose somewhere close to you… and I am the one you need to catch him.”One creepy guy. “How do you know that? I just got a call today asking for a consult with rural law enforcement.” He raised his voice. “Is there something else you aren’t telling? Why would your doctor all of a sudden just show you a newspaper? I sense psychotic episodes on the horizon.”
“You know me so well.”
“It wasn’t your doctor, who showed you the paper was it?”
Peter cackled. “Aw, let’s just say… the person that contacted you, made special considerations to have me in on the party, as well.” I have certain talents that you lack, so they inquired on a profile of the killer… of which, I have started to build.”
“And I thought you were just wasting away, constructing license plates for crotch rockets.”
Peter mimicked the sarcasm. “You would be surprised what I offer. Gelati heard the shuffling of papers in the background. “Hmm, dear brother… according to these pics of his handiwork, he enjoys blood…and when I say enjoy… I mean, he likes the feel of it all over his flesh. Probably even may sample some of it.”That destroyed my appetite for the next few years. “I don’t have the pictures you apparently do.”
“No. You most certainly do not.” An eerie silence hovered over the line for several seconds. “You know what would be entertaining?”
The gas chamber? “If you could compare notes with slasher boy?”
“Touché, but no… What would be absolute divine was… if I was to come up to Cutter’s Pass, meet your savvy team of geeks and freaks, and offer you some insight.”Damn guy, even knew where we were going. “You, free on the streets? I don’t know if I could live with myself, if you decided to play Son of Satan.”
“You could keep me under close watch. Promise, I would be a very obedient guest.”
Peter was a great profiler… never been obedient at anything though. Let me see what I can come up with. I will let you know in twelve hours.”
“Ah, dear brother. Just like when we were kids.”
Gelati wanted to end the call. He could only take so much of Peter. “Okay I will talk to your administrator; I’ll see what I can do. In the mean time, I need to check out this latest crime scene and get the technical team to film it.”
“Cool, why don’t’ you call Harold and Bartholomew in on this too, we may need the contingency of the family.”Ah, the Brothers Grimm incarnate. Maybe, Harold may want in if we need him, but Bartholomew is unavailable for the next 3-5 years. Too many robberies ended his current freedom status.”
If this happens, I have to watch Peter real close… close indeed.
* * *
Providence Avenue was located on the southern edge of Cutter’s Pass, in an area; most of the city’s generous population would consider upscale. The majority of the architecture was modern, as each was accompanied with the necessary Mercedes and matching cookie cutter lawn. The lack of any uniqueness bordered on the edge of criminal. Reports of another murder, especially in this area, had onlookers filling the streets, itching to get a glimpse of the dead body. They were armed with smart phones and cameras, poised to get visual evidence, before the coroner carted it away. The local media had systematically joined in, not wanting to be second fiddle to the amateurs. KRRT had even set up a tented headquarters, and were aggressively seeking reaction from whoever they came in contact with.
The vultures smell blood. Detective Steve Creighton shook his head, as he pulled in behind the powdered blue patrol car. A uniformed officer, mid-twenties, and pale-skinned noticed him and pointed in the direction of the two responding officers.
Creighton disgustedly stared at the crowd. Pathetic, simply pathetic. His thoughts were interrupted by the soft voice of a shapely uniformed woman in her mid-thirties. Amanda Davis…
“Sir, the woman has been there for a few days…decomposing quickly.” She handed him a barrier mask and a set of latex gloves. “Cody is inside…with her.”Amanda, nice dirty blonde. Maybe one day… “Officer Davis, who called it in?”
She wiped at her brow. “Nobody. One of her college girlfriends stopped over and…found her like this.”Good, nobody saw me. “How about her parents?”
“The girlfriend says they are in Nappa Valley for three weeks. No other relatives in the area though.”
“I see, let’s take a look.”
Officer Davis led him to the steps of a three-story brick home. It was lined with large stained glass windows. The front door was constructed of cherry wood, and the knocker which normally would be made of brass, was entirely ivory. Off to the right, was a spiral staircase. Officer Davis pointed. “It’s the first door on the left.” Detective Creighton put a hand on her shoulder; an act of emotion, he usually never expressed. She remained behind, to assist the other uniforms in crowd control. When he reached the landing, the smell of spilled blood, and death assaulted his senses. It was fortunate for him, he was wearing the barrier mask, or everyone in the room would have noticed his inappropriate smile, and this more than likely, would have stirred up possible suspicion, not to mention a visit to the department’s crack psychologist. Focus, this is your crime scene. Clearing his throat, the room snapped to attention. The tall tanned surf guru turned cop, Cody Belz, approached him. “Hey, sir, this is one fucked up dealio.” Officer Belz cringed. “Sorry, slipped.”
Creighton waved him off. “No worries. What have we got?”
Officer Belz escorted him to a behemoth of a walk-in closet. The racks of designer clothes upstaged even the most prestigious vendors within a three state region. Creighton glared at the attire. Spoiled girl got what she deserved. The closet appeared to be larger than he remembered; he was becoming excited as Officer Belz pulled away several layers of clothing, exposing the naked headless body of Jessica Gorman.
Officer Belz turned away. “He took the head.”
Creighton tried to look surprised. “What in the fuck would he want with it?” The delivery service has it… hehe. “A collector maybe, sir?” Officer Belz cleared his throat.
“Makes sense, but if our guy killed her here, there should be more blood?
Officer Belz cocked his head. “You don’t think it happened here?”
“No, there’s another crime scene, and we need to find it.” Creighton bent down, inspecting the body. The piece of white thin paper was sitting at the feet of Jessica Gorman. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out a medium sized plastic baggie. “You see the writing here?” Creighton pointed to the signature.
Officer Belz leaned in. “Yes, this is the second one this month. Why sign it Forsaken?”Can’t tell you all my secrets. “Your guess is good as mine-“A tap on his shoulder, forced him to whirl in the direction of the annoyance.
Officer Amanda Davis thrust a cell phone in his direction. “It’s the Chief. He needs to speak with you immediately.”

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Let’s talk about a not-so-new written work, that will be on a book shelf near you in the immediate future. I have been toiling to complete the edits on my new novel, but as fate would have it, technical difficulties have made a presence in the publishing process. (Sucks, I know.) But this has given me ample time to polish several other works, and bring them to light for all of my newer fans! 😉 And of course, my faithful followers of old, I have something special planned for you as well. But that is a few months down the road, so be patient. I wanted to share a chapter from Death Prescription, which I hope you all enjoy…remember, death is only a click away!

The Blackbirds’ Feast

The morning had a slight chill to it, as Conservation Officer Alicia Strand was conducting her morning patrol. She had picked up a warm cinnamon roll and a cup of piping hot chocolate, before she started her shift an hour ago. Alicia also brought along a bridal magazine, which she would glance at when she got bored. Not like Ethan will ever pop the damn question anyway, she thought, entering the deserted Dunlap County Conservation Center. The park consisted of one hundred and eighty acres; many recreational activities were available to the large number of tourists who would visit. It was known for its dangerously tall bluffs. Many climbers had attempted to ascend the mountainous terrain, but most were unsuccessful. That meant Alicia and the other patrol officers would spend a lot of time helping conduct rescue attempts for the misguided. She just passed one of the bluffs and was maneuvering the tan patrol jeep up through a winding paved road. The overused vehicle bounced along the path; she felt every deformity the road had to offer.
“Damn Jeep! I told Renni to fix these shocks,” Alicia said. She distinctly remembered telling the park’s mechanic about the needed repairs. Alicia drove for a few minutes longer and then decided it was time for a break. This will work, she thought. Alicia had driven to the most secluded part of the park known as Parma Point. Not too many campers knew it even existed; most of the time the park’s maintenance employees were the only people ever to spend time here. She turned into the gravel parking lot and noticed unwanted weeds had grown wild between various parts of the broken pavement. She would make a note of it and have the park engineer come out and throw some weed killer on the nuisance.
She turned into a haphazardly constructed parking spot, made of green treated two by fours, ready to finish her cup of hot chocolate. She was flipping through her magazine, when her police radio came to life.
“Dispatch, to four-ten.” The sound of a male voice filled the patrol car. Great! Alicia grabbed the car’s radio microphone. “Four-ten, go ahead, dispatch.”
“I need you to respond to a high angle rescue at Sutterman’s Bluff ASAP!”
“Affirmative, dispatch, I’m about ten minutes from there now.” Alicia said.
“I will show you en route to the location. Be advised I have already called fire rescue as well,” the male dispatcher said.
“I will advise when I’m on scene.” Alicia shifted the vehicle into drive, activating the lights and siren. She turned the vehicle around to leave the parking lot, instinctively looking to her right. The conservation officer did a quick double take. That’s sort of weird. She stopped the jeep and stared out into the clearing, where three picnic tables were positioned. The middle one appeared to be covered in a dark moving mass.
“What the hell?” Alicia had, the feeling something was terribly wrong. She squinted to see what was on top of the table, but couldn’t tell from the distance. She decided this may be just as important as the rescue and figured it wouldn’t hurt to investigate. Alicia would need to call dispatch back and let them know. The fire department will be expecting me, she thought, picking up the handset. She pushed the transmit button speaking clearly for the county dispatcher to hear.
“Four-ten, to dispatch.”
A male voice acknowledged the call. “Dispatch to four-ten, are you at Sutterman’s Bluff already?”
“Negative, dispatch. I think I have discovered something else here at Parma Point.”
“I already informed fire rescue you were on your way to their location. You’re the only one on duty. You copy that?” the male dispatcher asked.
“I need to check this out. I will advise.”
“Ten-four,” the dispatcher said; the radio went silent.
Alicia exited her vehicle, flipping on her portable radio. She walked briskly toward the picnic area. When she was about twenty feet away, she noticed the massive dark object she spotted was actually a swarm of crows. They weren’t making the loud obnoxious cawing sound these types of birds normally make. Very eerie, she thought. Alicia edged closer to see what the birds were drawn to, but couldn’t tell what lay beneath the never-ending flock. They were feeding on something. She figured some careless campers might have left their trash or spoiled food lying out and forgotten to throw it away when they departed.
When she got within a short distance from the black birds, Alicia looked down, almost tripping over a neatly folded pile of clothing. The garments were within arm’s distance of the picnic table; she bent to look at them more closely. That is very strange. Why would someone leave folded clothing here in the middle of nowhere? She took a few more steps toward the birds, trying to scare them. They appeared to be oblivious to her presence; only a few made any noise at all. Most of them continued shoving one another aside, flapping their wings now violently, to include themselves in the ongoing feast at the bottom of the melee.
Alicia waved her arms to shoo them off, as they hesitated before they began to fly away, and exposed what was underneath. She realized what the birds had been dining on. Lying prone on the table was a mutilated figure of what appeared to be a young female. The woman was naked; spread eagle on the table’s bloodstained surface. She appeared to be tied to the underside of the bench, by thin ropes. They were secured to what remained of both her swollen hands and ankles. Alicia almost choked on her saliva as she approached the victim. The disgusting odor of recent defecation and torn rotten flesh almost made her eyes water. She gasped at the sight of the woman’s face. The skin around her cheeks and eyes were ripped away from the bone. Her eyes were now empty sockets that held a gateway leading to her brain tissue. The sight was so riveting she barely could take focus from it. Alicia glanced down; the woman’s fleshy mid section appeared to have a carving engraved into it. She stared at the words the killer had sculptedNot him…not here. Those words, and that monster were enough to scare anyone working in law enforcement the last several days, and she was no exception. Alicia pushed the transmit button on her portable and spoke into the black external microphone.
“Four-ten, to dispatch. I need assistance from a county supervisor and a detective ASAP!”
“What have you got up there?” the dispatcher said.
Alicia lost all radio etiquette. “A fucking homicide here at Parma Point! Homicide and it’s the guy… you will also need to call the coroner as well. I will secure the crime scene until they arrive.” Alicia peered at the corpse.
The dispatcher’s voice cracked. “I will get the detective on duty from the county! Also be advised more units will be heading to assist.”
“Ten-four, dispatch,” Alicia said, running back to her patrol car. She opened the rear hatch of the patrol unit and pulled out a roll of yellow police tape and a plastic body bag. The plastic would prevent the deceased from being eaten further by the wildlife. It was going to be a very long day…

Thanksgiving. What a great way to kick off the holiday season. A day devoted to being thankful for the blessings we have in our lives.

This year, I have a lot to be thankful for. I’ve got a supportive family, a rewarding job, and a comfortable home. And this year has been great for me as a writer, too: I’ve had several short stories released and, most recently, the final stages have come to pass on my new publication, Weaving Evil. (I know, it’s been way too long for you devoted fans.) I’ve also been blessed with thousands of “new” fans to call my own…lol, along with the numerous bookstores carrying my work. Not much more that a working writer could ask for!

As you prepare the holiday turkey and all the traditional festivities, and prepare for the upcoming surge of early Xmas shopping joy, I urge all of my readers to take a moment to contemplate just exactly what you all are thankful for. With that, I bid you all a memorable and wonderful Thanksgiving. 🙂

Until next time…remember, death is only a cluck away…oh, wait, I mean…a click away. (Gobble didn’t really work with this.) ;0

Time has come for me to unveil the second installment of Cupid’s Kill. I hope everyone enjoyed the first portion, and I promise…the ending is something you will remember for a long time! (That is, if you read my other novels.) Postings have unfortunately been short as of late, because I’m in the process of completing my latest novel, Weaving Evil. (I know, long time coming.) But be rest assured, more publications are on the way, and YOU won’t be disappointed. Well, enough about the future, time for the present. Cupid’s Kill Part 2 is waiting for you, fans and friends! http://www.amazon.com/Cupids-Kill-Part-2-ebook/dp/B0086O1YHK/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1338336913&sr=1-1#_